The Legacy of Haruhi Suzumiya
by Elycat
Summary: The SOS Brigade finds themselves on board a starship in the 24th century. Kyon tries to figure out what's going on: why are they there? What has happened to the Data Entity? And who is the mysterious Q, who possesses powers like Haruhi's own? TNG xover
1. Chapter 1

_A/N - This is totally self-fanservice, so I thought hard before putting this up. But I thought I'd like some feedback, so... here it is. Yes, this is a crossover between Haruhi Suzumiya and Star Trek: The Next Generation. I just felt like it, mostly because I think it would be absolutely hilarious if Haruhi ever met Q._

_Also, I beg you to remember that though I'm striving to make this story have a coherent plot and a recognizable, in-character_ _cast, it is still crack, and so some OOC-ness may ensue. I'll try not to, but please forgive me if it happens._

_Pairings are Haruhi/Kyon and Yuki/Data._

--

"Kyon!"

Kyon moaned and turned over, waving his arm aimlessly. "Stoppit, sis," he mumbled.

"Kyon, I mean it. Get up."

The boy's sleep-fuddled mind recognized the urgency in the girl's voice calling him. Haruhi. He opened his eyes.

She was bent over him, and he observed a combination of anxiety and bad-temperedness in her face. "Kyon, where_ are_ we?"

He groaned, sitting up, and found himself in a completely unfamiliar hallway. Haruhi watched him intently, and he shook his head helplessly. "I've never been here in my life."

Kyon privately thought to himself that the situation was dangerously similar to _that_ incident when Haruhi remarked, "This… reminds me of a dream I had, once. But we're still in our pajamas, so I guess this is real. We must have been transported here somehow."

Her eyes sparkled. Kyon was tempted to say something sarcastic about her logic, but even he had to admit she had a point. After all, this definitely wasn't closed space.

Not, of course, that he could tell her that. Closed space had been a dream to her, and it needed to stay that way.

"Well, I'm fairly sure I'm not asleep, anyway."

The new, familiar voice made both Haruhi and Kyon turn around. Koizumi had just come around a corner, and as they watched he was followed by Yuki and Mikuru.

Kyon had never been so happy to see the irritating esper, and when he saw Yuki he felt some real relief. They'd be okay if she was with them.

"How did you… Where are we?" Haruhi said. Koizumi merely shrugged.

"We woke up over there," he said, pointing. "It's probably a good idea to explore, try to figure out where we are…" He paused, making a show of thinking hard. "We ought to split up, search the place and meet back here. Why don't I take Kyon-kun and Asahina-san, and Suzumiya-san can go with Nagato-san?"

Haruhi looked as if she wanted to protest, but Kyon could tell Koizumi wanted to speak with him out of Haruhi's hearing, so quickly he said, "I agree. Yuki, do you have a watch?" Wordlessly she held up her wrist and nodded once. She alone out of all of them was dressed, in her trademark uniform, and Kyon briefly wondered why. "Good – so does Asahina-san…" …he hoped her time traveling device was still functioning… "…so let's meet back here in an hour."

"All right," said Haruhi resentfully, surprising him. He'd expected her to at least put up a fuss. "Be careful."

They left in opposite directions, Mikuru clinging to Kyon in her long, cute nightgown. Kyon turned to Koizumi. "All right, so where are we? This isn't closed space."

"But of course." The esper was _still_ smiling, even now, making Kyon want to hit him. "I believe, however, that you're asking the wrong question. Not _where_ are we, but… _when_ are we."

Both boys automatically looked at Mikuru, whose eyes were teary with worry. "I contacted my superiors," she whispered. "They… they asked why I was calling them from their future."

It took a moment for this to sink in. They were in the future – not only that, but the future of the future, the future of Mikuru's time travel organization. Kyon stared. "Then…" He glanced at her. "Can't you take us back?"

She shook her head, and Koizumi put in, "This is how the 'where' comes in," he said. "We're in space."

"You've got to be joking," Kyon said, having little hope of this being true. Smiling, Koizumi shook his head. Kyon sighed.

"Don't worry," Koizumi said brightly. "If this is a spaceship, I'm sure we can explain ourselves to the crew and arrange a ride back to Earth."

"They're not going to believe us," Kyon muttered, but Koizumi didn't respond. "Asahina-san, how advanced is space travel in your time?"

"Classified information," she muttered, then gave him a small smile.

--

Meanwhile, Haruhi and Yuki had been walking in silence, Haruhi wearing a troubled expression. "What do you make of this, Yuki?" she asked at last, stopping and turning to the other girl, but before Yuki could answer, two things happened at once. First, a door slid open to their right, making Haruhi jump – she hadn't noticed it at all. A pale, dark-haired man in a strange yellow uniform emerged, and when he saw Haruhi and Yuki he turned, staring at them with a quizzical expression on his face.

At the same time Yuki let out a small, almost inaudible gasp and fainted.

"Yuki!" Haruhi dropped to her knees beside her friend, then looked suspiciously up at the newcomer. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

He raised his eyebrows. "I could well ask you the same thing. Why are you aboard the Enterprise?"

Haruhi shook her head, not understanding. "Where are we? What's happened to Yuki?" she demanded. The girl didn't appear to be harmed, breathing slowly and peacefully, but Haruhi's attempts to wake her by shaking her shoulder amounted to nothing.

"She appears to have fainted," the man said, kneeling beside them and feeling Yuki's pulse. His strange, pale eyes flicked to Haruhi, taking in her confused expression. "You appear disoriented. What is your purpose aboard the _Enterprise_?"

"The _Enterprise?"_ Haruhi tilted her head slightly. "We're… on a ship, then?"

The man sighed. "Perhaps you should explain your trouble to the captain… and if you would allow me to take your friend to the sickbay, I am sure our doctor would be able to determine the cause of her faint."

Haruhi hesitated, then nodded. "All right," she said. "So… who are you?"

"I am Lieutenant Commander Data," he said. "Welcome to the starship _Enterprise."_

Her eyes widened. "Starship…?" Data bent and picked up Yuki with no apparent effort, and Haruhi followed him down the hall, an expression of delight growing on her face. "I'm Haruhi Suzumiya!"


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm not used to having stowaways on my ship." Captain Picard leaned forward, watching the three students with interest. "So this is quite a surprise. How long have you been hiding on the _Enterprise?"_

"Like I told him," Kyon said, nodding at the bearded man who had brought them into custody. "We're not stowaways. I don't even know why we're here."

This, of course, was not completely true: though Kyon didn't know why Haruhi had brought them here, he had no doubt that she was the one responsible. Koizumi smiled disarmingly and leaned forward, cutting in.

"It's our friend, Haruhi Suzumiya," Koizumi said. Kyon winced; was this esper really going to tell everything? "She doesn't know it, but she has the ability to subconsciously manipulate reality according to her wishes. She has always longed for something… _unusual,_ so we believe she may have brought us here without realizing."

Mikuru looked up. "There's something else," she said, and when she spoke it was with the slight burst of confidence that came when she acted in her capacity as a time-traveler. "We're from you're past, Captain. The 21st century – about three hundred years ago, I think." Picard nodded, not questioning her, and she continued. "If we were back on Earth… in Japan… I could take us home, I – I'm a time traveler, so… that's how I know…"

She became flustered, slipping back into the easily embarrassed _moe_ girl that Kyon knew. Picard nodded again in agreement. "Very well. Fortunately, we aren't too far from Earth at the moment… the journey should take a couple of weeks. My crew will try to make you comfortable in the meantime. Where is this Haruhi now?"

As he said this, the doors slid open to admit Haruhi and Data. Picard looked up and smiled. "Oh, Mr. Data. Is this the Haruhi Suzumiya I've just heard about?" Haruhi nodded eagerly. Kyon could tell she was thrilled, and guessed she had already been told that they were on a space ship.

"Haruhi! Where's Nagato?" he called to her.

"Kyon, she fainted," Haruhi said, her smile fading a little. "I don't know why. Data took her to sickbay."

"Is she okay?" Kyon said, looking at Data.

"Her status seemed perfectly normal," Data said. "However, if you would prefer to come see her for yourself…"

Picard nodded. "Take them to the sickbay and then show them to their quarters. Don't worry," he added, smiling at Kyon. "I have every confidence in our Dr. Crusher, and I'm sure she'll be fine."

Kyon bowed slightly. "Thank you."

--

When they reached the sickbay, a red-haired woman met them and introduced herself as Beverly Crusher. They all introduced themselves in return.

"How is she?" Haruhi said nervously.

"No harm done," Beverly said reassuringly. "She ought to wake up soon. In fact…" She hesitated. "In fact, I can't determine a cause of her fainting spell at all. Possibly it was the shock of finding herself in a new place and time."

Kyon frowned. This did not sound like Yuki, but there was no point discussing it with Haruhi in the room.

"Will you let us know when she wakes up?" Koizumi said. Beverly nodded.

"Of course."

As they left, she stopped Data briefly. "Come back after you show them their quarters, will you?" she asked in a low voice. "I want you to take a look at something."

--

"So what do you think?" Picard said to Riker after everyone had gone.

"About what?"

"This girl… Haruhi. If their story is true, her abilities sound curiously familiar."

"Q," Riker said, eyes widening in understanding.

"Precisely," Picard said, nodding. "But Q are generally self-aware, and Haruhi doesn't seem to know what she's doing."

"You're quite right, for once."

Picard and Riker turned sharply. A man was standing behind them, leaning against the wall and grinning. He waved.

"Q," Picard said sharply. "What's going on?"

"It's amusing, isn't it?" Q said. "Dear little Haruhi has absolutely no idea what she is. I must say, the Q Continuum is quite interested in her."

"What do you want?" Picard said pointedly.

"Just the same as Haruhi's companions – to observe. Do not worry," Q added, chuckling to himself at Picard's suspicion. "I won't interfere. My business isn't with you this time around – you were simply lucky enough to pick her up, and I thought I'd warn you that you'd see me around. I will try not to get in your way." He grinned. "On my honor as Q."

He disappeared. Picard shook his head. "His honor? That doesn't promise much," he muttered. "I don't trust him. Best keep a close watch on our guests from now on."

Riker nodded his agreement. "Right."

--

"Data, take a look at these readings," Beverly said as the android walked into the room. Yuki was still unconscious and the doctor was currently scanning her with a small device.

He walked over and read the screen quickly. "Fascinating," he said. "These numbers are too high… or, perhaps, too _perfect_ for a human being." He looked over at the unconscious girl and Beverly nodded.

"That's exactly what I thought. Whatever she is, she isn't human… possibly some artificial humanoid, but when I examined her she was completely organic, there's no doubt about it."

"Has she shown any signs of waking?" Data said, plainly interested. As he spoke, there was a faint moan for the bed; both of them turned around to look at Yuki.

She opened her eyes. "You," Yuki said softly, looking at Data. Her face was expressionless, but for a moment a flicker of… _something_ crossed her eyes. He wasn't sure what; fear, perhaps, or worry.

She sat up, turning so she was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring down at the floor. Beverly walked up to her and crouched down, trying to meet her eyes. "Are you okay?" she said gently. "I'm sure you've had a bit of a shock, but you will be safe here on the _Enterprise."_

"I'm fine," Yuki said quietly. She stood up, looking at Beverly, her face still eerily calm. For a moment the girl seemed to hesitate, but then she said simply, "Where's Kyon?"

She took a few steps forward and stumbled. Data caught her arm to prevent her from falling. "You should rest here until you are well," he said.

"I'm fine," Yuki repeated, turning to look up into Data's face. "Please."

Before he could answer, Beverly had. "It's true that I haven't seen anything strictly _wrong _with you," she said, and frowned. There were a number of questions in her face, but she decided not to pry and said, "There's no reason why you shouldn't go on to your quarters now. Data, will you accompany her?"

"Of course," he said.

They walked back in silence. At first Data kept a hand on Yuki's shoulder to steady her, but withdrew when he realized that she really did seem to be perfectly fine. He couldn't take his eyes off her; had Beverly been right? _Was_ she some sort of artificial, organic being – some sort of android, much older but more perfect than himself? Whatever the case, he resolved to keep a close eye on her in the future.

It was rather late on the _Enterprise, _but Haruhi and her friends had only woken a couple of hours previously. So, though Yuki and Data didn't meet anyone on their way to the guest quarters, the SOS Brigade was still awake and gathered in Haruhi's room. When the door slid open, everyone fell silent. Then Kyon stood up, stepping forward.

"Nagato! Are you okay?"

She nodded once. Kyon smiled with relief, and Data stepped back. "It is quite late," he said. "I should return to my quarters."

Yuki nodded again, her face serious. "Thank you," she said.

Data turned to leave. As he did, he heard Yuki murmur quietly to Kyon, "My connection to the Integrated Data Thought Entity has been severed in this time plane."

She was much too quiet to have been heard by a human who wasn't standing beside her as Kyon was, but Data's hearing was enhanced beyond human standards and he could hear her clearly.

It was one more piece to the puzzle: who was Yuki? Data was going to find out.

--

With Yuki apparently fine, Haruhi no longer seemed worried in the least. "We've got two weeks before we get back to earth and they send us back in time, so I think we should enjoy it. Isn't this exciting? Tomorrow, let's explore the entire ship – I want to see everything!"

"Perhaps we should get some sleep, though," Koizumi put in. "It will help us adjust to this time… I don't want to be falling asleep just as they're serving lunch."

The notion of food only sparked Haruhi's enthusiasm further. Her eyes sparkled. "Oooh! I wonder what food in the future is _like?"_

"You won't find out if you're asleep while they're eating," Kyon said, his eyes automatically sliding over to Yuki. She seemed even more emotionless and silent than usual. "Koizumi's right – we should get some rest." He stood up, stretching although he wasn't actually tired.

"Oh, fine." Despite her tone, Kyon could tell that she wasn't really angry with them. She was too elated for that. Privately, he thought she would get even less sleep than the rest of them. "Good night! See you guys in the morning."

The rest of them trickled outside. When the door shut behind them, Kyon heaved a great sigh. "I don't see how you're going to maintain secrecy like this. It might be better just to tell her… she seems pretty stable right now."

Koizumi shook his head. "Best not to make things any worse than they already are. She seems content, but when we return to our own time, I doubt she'll be so placid."

Kyon shook his head and glanced at Yuki. "What about you, Nagato?"

She looked up and, in an emotionless voice, repeated what she had told Kyon. The other two were clearly shocked. "I fainted at the shock of finding the connection severed," she said. "The Integrated Data Thought Entity has been destroyed, and I intend to find out what has happened while we are here."

"But…" Mikuru looked anxious. "You have no idea what repercussions you could cause by trying to meddle with how things are now…"

"I will find out what happened," Yuki said, quite calmly, and abruptly turned to go to her room.

"Nagato," Kyon said in a low voice. "Are you sure…?"

"I'm fine," Yuki said, exactly as she had said those words to Data, and walked into her room without looking back at them.

Kyon watched the door slide shut behind her and tried desperately to believe her. He wanted to tell himself that it wouldn't matter to Yuki if the IDTE was dead in three hundred years… but somehow, thinking of the deadened, shocked look in Yuki's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to believe it.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N - sorry for the long wait! I've procrastinated on typing this chapter up...  
_

_Anyway. Fluff next chapter, and after that, maybe you'll get some answers on why exactly the story is called the "Legacy" of Haruhi._

_Thank you for all the alert adds. Reviews would be much, much appreciated! :3_

* * *

Kyon rose early with the vague idea of finding Picard and explaining to him the need for secrecy around Haruhi. He still thought Koizumi was going about it the wrong way, but safeguards couldn't hurt. Though the clock told him it was inhumanely early on the _Enterprise_, he had no difficulty getting up: despite his efforts, he'd hardly slept at all and it was a relief to stop trying.

He wasn't actually expecting the captain to be up yet, but as he retraced the route that Data had brought them through the ship, he met the man coming from his quarters on his way to the bridge.

"Good morning, sir," Kyon said, hurrying forward to walk with Picard. The captain nodded to him courteously.

"Good morning," Picard said. "You've risen early."

"I still haven't adjusted to the time change," Kyon admitted.

"You should stop by the sickbay," Picard suggested. "I'm sure Beverly will have something to help you adjust."

"Thanks," Kyon said, surprised. "Um… Captain… listen. It's about Haruhi…"

"Oh, yes," said Picard, and Kyon noticed his interest sharpen. "Your story about her was quite intriguing."

"She's…" Kyon sighed. "We'd just appreciate it if… if she didn't find out the fact that Nagato, Koizumi, and Miss Asahina are anything but ordinary humans. She's obsessed with, well, aliens and espers and anything out of the ordinary like that… Koizumi thinks that if she ever knowingly came face-to-face with one, the results could be disastrous."

Picard chuckled. "I won't intrude upon your privacy, but you will be hard pressed to keep her from meeting the non-humans in my crew. A great number of alien species are represented on the _Enterprise."_

Kyon shook his head. "Which is what I'm worried about, but Koizumi…"

He trailed off as they reached the bridge. Data was already there, and he turned around as they came in. "Good morning, Captain," he said. "Kyon."

"You're up early as well, Mr. Data," Picard observed. "I thought I was the only one who would be getting such an early start this morning… apparently, I was wrong."

"I have been running checks on the system while the bridge was still empty," Data said.

"Very good," Picard said approvingly, walking forward to glance at Data's console.

Kyon felt suddenly, entirely out of his depth, as if he was interfering with the two Starfleet officers' work. "Thank you for not mentioning it to Haruhi," he said, a little awkwardly.

"Your friends' secret is safe from Haruhi," Picard said. "At least until she figures it out for herself. Now, speaking of Haruhi, I suggest you keep an eye on her while you're all here. Not that I don't trust her," Picard added, seeing the look on Kyon's face, "but I have had experience with beings of similar abilities, and it may be best for her safety for you to stay with her."

"Right," Kyon agreed, though he frowned at the captain's cryptic words. He was sure Picard was hiding something from him, but decided not to press him. Something about Picard seemed inherently trustworthy, and Kyon was sure he had his reasons. Still, he decided, he would remain on his guard while he was on the _Enterprise._ Just in case… and not least for Haruhi's sake.

After Kyon left, Data turned to Picard. "If you do not mind my asking, sir," he said, "what secret is it that Haruhi cannot find out?"

"The fact that Koizumi, Yuki, and Mikuru are not ordinary humans." Picard sat down, crossing his arms. "They seem to believe that if she ever discovered this, the result could be a catastrophe. Their description of her is quite remarkable."

"Then you believe their reports?" Data said.

"If I didn't before, I do now. Q paid us a visit last night… it seems he's very interested in Haruhi. That's why I asked Kyon to watch out for her. I don't trust Q, Data, you know that."

"I see," said Data thoughtfully. "And this also appears to confirm my hypothesis about Yuki Nagato."

"Oh?"

"I have looked into the _Enterprise's_ database and have come to believe that Yuki is a humanoid representative for an alien being known only as the Integrated Data Thought Entity. It was destroyed at some time during the 23rd century, although the exact date and cause are uncertain."

Picard frowned. "Intriguing indeed. I think it important that we remember, however, that our visitors are from the past and much of this does not necessarily concern us… though I admit, Q's interest does worry me."

Data nodded and turned away. "Understood, Captain."

--

Haruhi truly had tried, but she hadn't been able to sleep the entire night. At last she sighed, giving up, and slid out of bed. A glance at the clock confirmed it was indeed morning, if early, and she was tired of waiting. Time to explore the _Enterprise._

"I've been wondering when you would get up."

Haruhi jumped, noticing for the first time a man standing against the wall of her quarters, looking rather bored. She stiffened, sure he hadn't been there a few minutes before. At once he crossed the room and dropped to one knee in front of Haruhi, making a sweeping bow. "My lady," he said grandly. "How wonderful to meet you at last."

The girl's face was a mixture of shock and rage. "P-pervert! Who are you? What are you doing in my room?!"

The man laughed, standing up and raising his hands slowly. "Easy, my dear. I'm a friend." He smiled disarmingly. "You may call me Q."

Haruhi stepped back a little, eyeing him suspiciously and crossing her arms over her chest. "You still haven't answered my question."

Q shook his head admiringly. "I love it! You _still_ have no idea who you are – who _we_ are. To put it simply, I'm here to wake you up, Haruhi Suzumiya."

Her eyes widened sharply. Q's smile broadened.

"That's right, I know your name. In fact, I know a lot more about you than you do. I'm from the Q Continuum, Haruhi…" He laughed. "And it's so _incredibly_ amusing that you don't know what I'm talking about. You have no idea."

Haruhi was very close to losing her temper. "Get to the point, Q," she snapped.

Q chuckled. "I can already tell that this will be entertaining. Now, then…" He snapped his fingers, paused, and a flicker of irritation crossed his face. "What the…?"

He glanced over his shoulder at the door, and then looked back at Haruhi. There was a flicker of irritation across his face, coupled with something else. Admiration? Amazement? "Incredible," he murmured. "Sorry, my lady, but I'm going to have to cut this short… your friend Kyon is on his way, and I don't think it would do to let him see me. Not just yet. So I'll bid you farewell for now, Haruhi…"

"How do you know Kyon is—" Haruhi started to say, but Q waved at her and vanished in a flash of light. Haruhi's hand clenched into a fist. At the same time, her door beeped. Haruhi looked up at it. "C-come in."

It was Kyon.

He stared at Haruhi's white face and startled eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah…" Haruhi shook her head, trying to clear the weird sensation that had overtaken her after the conversation with Q. "Yeah, just a weird dream."

--

Haruhi soon decided to put Q out of her mind, because after breakfast a woman who called herself Deanna Troi arrived and told them that Picard had asked her to give the SOS Brigade a tour of the _Enterprise._ Haruhi was ecstatic. "Really?!" she exclaimed. "I want to see everything! Where should we go first?"

Troi laughed. "We won't be able to see it all in a single day – it's a big ship, after all. But at least you'll be able to learn your way around and familiarize yourselves with where you'll be staying."

"Great," Haruhi proclaimed, and Kyon had a feeling she'd probably start exploring on her own the moment Troi's tour failed to satisfy. "Well, lead the way!"

Troi led the five of them them around the ship, showing them to the various departments and introducing more crewmembers than Kyon could keep track of. At one point, a tall officer walked by and Troi waved. "Good morning, Worf."

He greeted them courteously in a deep voice and moved on. Haruhi stared after him, eyes wide. "Was… was that…"

Troi laughed. "No, he isn't human. He's a Klingon. A lot of the crewmembers here aren't human, you know… You've met Data, for example. He's an android."

"Really? Wow." Haruhi's eyes sparkled. "Real aliens…"

"An artifical humanoid," Yuki said softly, apparently struck by this discovery about Data. Kyon glanced at her, wondering what she was thinking about this.

"Oh, here's Engineering," Troi said, breaking into his thoughts.

They entered the room. Data was there, deep in conversation with a man Troi introduced as Geordi LaForge. The two broke off as the group approached, and Geordi welcomed them warmly, shaking hands in a friendly way.

"Feel free to look around," he said. "It's probably not like anything you've ever seen before, huh?"

Haruhi took him at his word, rushing about with gasps of astonishment. Kyon winced. "Don't get in their way like that." He was sure Geordi already regretted his invitation; the ensigns certainly seemed to, gingerly trying to avoid both Haruhi and the delicate equipment they were working with.

Yuki was standing slightly apart from the others, and Data passed her on his way out. As he did, he paused for a moment. "You are an artificial life form from the Integrated Data Thought Entity?" Yuki's eyes widened, and Data nodded. "I see my theory was correct. Do not worry, I will not reveal what I know to anyone save the Captain."

He continued walking, but before he could leave Yuki touched his arm. "Wait," she said softly.

Data turned, looking at her in mild surprise, and saw her staring at him steadily. "Do you know the fate of the Entity in this time frame?" she said, almost desperate.

"I am afraid that I do not. However, I would be capable of assisting you in researching it if you so desire. Our on-ship databases are quite extensive."

He blinked, not sure what string of programming had made him say that, wondering if his emotion chip was malfunctioning and causing him to act on impulse. But he felt nothing particularly strong, only a steady desire to help this girl. Nothing out of the ordinary, he told himself. Perhaps he felt drawn to another artificial humanoid; it was so rare to find another creature like himself.

The response surprised him a little. Yuki blinked a couple of times, and then her calm, emotionless face shifted to allow a small smile. "Thank you," she said, and gave a little bow.

Data, who had never had anyone react to him quite like this, uncertainly returned her bow with perfect mimicry before leaving the room. Yuki was still staring after him when Kyon came up to her a couple of minutes later. "Let's go," he muttered. "Haruhi's enthusiasm is getting to be alarming."

Troi had, apparently, noticed that Haruhi was getting dangerously close to some of the equipment in Engineering, because a few minutes later she led them out of the room again, waving goodbye to Geordi. The rest of the tour went quite well. Haruhi continued asking incessant questions, clearly wanting to find out absolutely everything about the 24th century.

"And… I know your mission is peaceful and all, but do you ever get into battles with… aliens, and stuff like that?"

"Well, we try to negotiate peacefully, but yes, sometimes conflict is inevitable."

"That is so cool!" Haruhi's imagination was clearly running overtime. Kyon could see it in her eyes. "Maybe something will happen while we're here."

Troi smiled. "Fortunately, that's unlikely. At the moment, we are deep in Federation space."

"Awww." Haruhi's disappointment only lasted a few seconds, however, and soon she was back to chattering and asking questions. Koizumi, by contrast, looked unusually grim; Kyon cast him a questioning look, and the esper shook his head.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he muttered simply.

--

Koizumi's suspicions were later proven true. Without warning, an alarm began blaring and lights flashed. Mikuru flinched and squeaked, and even Haruhi cringed at the noise. "What's going on?"

"Red alert." Troi was suddenly alert. "I need to get down to the bridge."

"We'll come with you!" Haruhi said quickly, following her as the woman ran down the hall. "Come on," she added over her shoulder to the rest of the SOS Brigade, and Kyon sighed, figuring he had no choice but to accompany her.

If Troi objected to their presence, she was too preoccupied to mention it, and all six of them soon arrived at the bridge. The first thing they saw was the image on the large screen at the front of the room, showing a large, cubical ship approaching the _Enterprise._

"Borg?" whispered Troi, disbelieving. She hurried over to Riker and put a hand on his shoulder. "Will, what's going on?"

He shook his head helplessly. "I don't know. There's only one, and beyond approaching us it has made no aggressive moves. But this deep in Federation space…!"

Riker trailed off. Picard was giving orders in a sharp, deadly serious tone; the bridge crew seemed too busy to notice Haruhi and her friends or bother telling them to go away. For once, Haruhi herself was quiet, her eyes wide as she stared at the Borg ship. Kyon, who prided himself on being able to read Haruhi's pendulum of emotions, couldn't tell if she was amazed or scared. Perhaps both. He had to admit, there was an ominous, evil presence about the slow-moving cube approaching them.

"I didn't think… something like this would really happen," she whispered in a shaky voice. "Kyon… do you think we'll be okay?"

"I know we will." He tried to keep his voice from trembling. The prospect of a starship battle frankly terrified him, but if this was Haruhi's doing… he had to trust her. There was no way she would wish for anyone's death. He'd cling to that. And perhaps even if the Borg ship hadn't sprung from Haruhi's wish… perhaps she would protect them.

The Borg cube was still approaching; the tension in the air was palpable. At last Picard leaned forward and shouted out, "Fire!"

Lasers shot out at the Borg ship, igniting chain reactions in all directions. It slowed, then exploded spectacularly. Haruhi gasped.

"What was _that?"_ Riker said in disbelief, staring out at the debris. "_One shot._ They didn't even defend themselves."

"I have no idea," Picard muttered grimly, his fist clenched. "Yellow alert, Number One, and keep watch for further Borg activity."

"Yes, sir."

Kyon glanced at Haruhi. "Let's go," he murmured. "I don't want to get in their way… we shouldn't be here."

"Okay," Haruhi said, taking one last look at the screen. "I want to find someone who'll tell me what just happened."

"I'm not sure they know that any more than we do," Kyon mused. Or… did he himself know better than anyone? With a sidelong glance at Haruhi, he left the bridge, followed by the rest of the SOS Brigade and barely acknowledged by the crew.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N - again, my apologies for such a long wait! I haven't abandoned this fic, but I'm having the most terrible writer's block on it lately. It might be another couple of months before an update, but hopefully my writer's block won't completely kill the plot. Sorry, everyone who's watching this!_

_Any chances of a review? I don't normally ask for them, but I have a lot more story alerts than I'd expected on this, and still only three reviews, so it's odd. XD_

* * *

Several minutes later, Picard stood up. "I'm going to send a report to Starfleet on this. Number One, you have the bridge."

"Don't worry, Captain, that won't be necessary." Q had appeared, smiling pleasantly as he approached Picard. "I don't think we'll be seeing a repeat occurrence of this any time soon."

"Did you do this?" Picard said.

"Not me," Q said cheerfully. "But trust me, Jean-Luc, if you report this… well, I doubt anyone would believe you. No offense. But the _Enterprise_ was the only ship to spot that Borg vessel at all. You might say it was a show put on just for us." He smirked. "Come on, put it together. It's not that hard."

"Do you mean…" Picard hesitated. "Haruhi Suzumiya?"

"Of course I mean Haruhi Suzumiya," Q said impatiently. "Not that she means to do it… do you see now why the Q Continuum wants to take her in hand? She doesn't know what she's doing. I intend to help her with that. Naturally, nothing more than that."

Picard frowned. "I don't put much stock in your idea of _help,_ Q. What are you planning? What's the _Continuum_ planning – to execute her?"

"Of course not. She's far too valuable for that." He grinned. "Did you know, I was about to reveal everything to her this morning and we were actually _interrupted?_ Of course it shouldn't have happened… and yet she subconsciously blocked me from freezing time so we could speak freely. I think she actually _likes_ having those humans around… and that…" Q grimaced at the thought of Yuki. "Anyway. That's the kind of power we're dealing with here. Strong enough to contest _me."_

"We?" Picard questioned sharply. "Don't act as if I'm your partner in this. I see no reason to meddle with some sort of… demi-Q from the 21st century."

Q shrugged. "Suit yourself. Now, if you'll excuse me… I must speak with Haruhi Suzumiya."

He vanished in his usual flash of light. Picard grimaced. After several moments he turned to Riker. "Cancel yellow alert, then, and proceed as planned."

"Yes, sir."

"Excuse me, captain…" It was Data. "My shift on the bridge is over. Permission to return to quarters, sir?"

Picard blinked, a little surprised, and nodded. "Granted."

"Thank you, sir." Data left, and Picard stared. Had he made a slight bow before he walked away? It was a mannerism he'd never seen in the android before, and Picard wondered briefly where he'd picked it up.

Picard shook his head and put Data out of his mind. At the moment, there were more pressing matters to attend to.

* * *

Data looked up. "Enter."

The door opened to admit Yuki, who stepped inside quietly. "Data?"

He gave a quick nod. "I assume you are here to learn how to interface with the _Enterprise__'s _onboard databases."

"Yes." She hesitated. "Though I'm worried… that there will be no relevant data. The Entity prefers to keep its existence private from organic life forms."

Data smiled slightly. "I am not organic, so perhaps we will be able to discover something."

Yuki looked at him, then sat down at the console, her hands hovering uncertainly over its surface. Data moved in behind her and showed her how to use it, and spoke a few voice commands in example. She was a quick learner, and surprise showed in her face.

"This data interface is much smoother than its 21st century counterparts," she murmured. "Perhaps, if this is the extent to which human culture has developed…"

Data nodded. "Perhaps it does contain some vital information."

They worked silently but for the occasional voice command, searching the extensive Starfleet databases with swift, inhuman efficiency. Data, at first, could not help stealing subtle glances at Yuki, but if she noticed she did not respond, remaining wholly absorbed in her work. At last she froze, sank back in her chair, and stared at the screen, her expression unreadable.

"Did you find them?" Data asked gently.

Yuki nodded once. "There are no other entries; I have searched. So the Entity… they… they truly are…"

Data looked at the entry she'd found, a more detailed log of the same information he had discovered. A Starfleet operative had somehow come into contact with the Entity, but midway through communications the being had vanished and no one since had been able to sense or contact any similar beings. The long-standing conclusion was that the mysterious Entity, whatever it had been, had somehow been destroyed or terminated.

"I am sorry," Data said, resting a hand on her shoulder.

She said nothing at first, then stood and turned to face him. There were tears silently running down her face. "I don't understand why I'm crying," she whispered.

Data tilted his head slightly. "They were your race. It is only… natural." He'd almost said _human,_ he realized.

She shook her head. "I am… different. I was created with the ability to interface with pure data, but also with physical entities, which they cannot effectively do. I am alone in my abilities… there was only one other. She became unstable and I was forced to neutralize her."

Data stared, for he could hear his own past echoing in her words. Soong's death – his father, but also human, something just out of his grasp. Lore's death – his brother, the one individual of his kind, even though he had been unbalanced and cruel.

"I understand," Data said simply.

Yuki looked at him, then surprised him by stepping forward and leaning into his chest, clinging to his shoulders. She shed no tears, but she was trembling slightly. Data blinked, startled, but then gingerly put his arms around her.

"You are unique, but you are not alone," Data murmured. He wasn't sure she'd heard him, though her grip on him tightened.

_Thank you. _Yuki wasn't sure if she'd said it aloud, but it didn't seem to matter. As unusual as he was, Data was more like her than any other individual she'd met. She stood there and let herself calm down, her sorrow fading as she listened to his mechanical heartbeat.

She'd find out what had happened while she was on board the _Enterprise__,_ and she knew that the android would be by her side as she did. That was enough for her.

* * *

Haruhi had dragged Kyon with her to sickbay, where she'd asked Beverly to explain what had just happened. The doctor had obliged her as best as she could, giving them a brief description of the Borg race.

"But _why_ they were here, I have no idea," Dr. Crusher concluded, frowning. "I suppose we should count ourselves lucky that they were so easily destroyed this time, but still… it could be a warning of another invasion yet to come."

She trailed off, frowning and preoccupied. Then she shook her head. "I'm sorry. It's just that… well, it's _disturbing_ to find Borg so deep in Federation space, unchallenged.

"I see." Haruhi looked almost as thoughtful as Beverly did, but much less worried. More… _excited. _Kyon frowned. "Well, thanks for the explanation…"

"We won't bother you anymore," Kyon said quickly. "You must have work to do." He took Haruhi's arm, and they left the sickbay.

Haruhi didn't say anything as they walked down the hall, but Kyon thought she looked incredibly calm considering what they'd just been told. "Aren't you worried at all?" he asked her.

"Hmm? No." Haruhi smiled. "Like she said, it was such a fluke… there's no way it'd happen _again._ Besides, I don't think the Borg can be as bad as they're cracked up to be. We blew 'em up pretty easily!"

She grinned at the memory, punching the air, and Kyon sighed, knowing the entire affair must really have been prompted by her desire to see the _Enterprise_ make something explode.

Neither of them noticed the man walking down the other side of the hall in the opposite direction, until he spoke as he passed Haruhi. "See all the trouble you've caused?"

Haruhi jumped, turning quickly. "Q!"

Kyon looked across at him, frowning. "Who is this?"

"I don't know." Haruhi shot a glare at Q, who seemed used to this reaction as if it was a common occurrence.

"Amazing," Q muttered, glancing at Kyon. "You know, Haruhi Suzumiya… the way you've been carrying on about this, it's almost as if you _like_ that human's company."

"Kyon is my best friend," Haruhi snapped.

Q shrugged. "Well, there's no accounting for taste. In any case, it doesn't matter. I'm not here for a mere human this time. I'm here for you."

"What…?" Haruhi stared at him with deepening confusion.

He laughed. "You've always longed for something _extraordinary._ Something beyond what humanity can offer. Haven't you ever wondered why that is? Haruhi Suzumiya, you are anything but ordinary. You are like _us._"

"Us," Haruhi repeated. "Who is _us?_ Who are you?"

"The Q Continuum, Haruhi," Q said, and spread his hand. "Put simply, we can do _whatever we want."_ He smiled. "Anything I wish for, I can make it happen."

As if to prove his point, there was a flash of light as he suddenly switched places with Kyon. Kyon jumped and looked around, disoriented though he'd only been moved a few feet. To his surprise, Haruhi was nodding, accepting Q's words without much skepticism. "That would explain how you know me. And how you knew that Kyon was coming when you were talking to me before."

"Why did you think you were here?" Q said. "I brought you here. I made the… adjustments necessary for you to be understood… the crew here doesn't speak Japanese, did you know? They're speaking the language you would call English. So am I, incidentally, though I suppose I don't need to… I could easily speak to you in your native tongue, though you can't tell the difference, can you?" He smiled, satisfied.

Haruhi went still. "And… you say… I'm like you?"

"That's right."

Kyon had frozen as well, looking quickly from Q to Haruhi. If she believed him, he had no way of knowing what would happen… but whatever it was, he was sure it wouldn't be good. That was the very reason they had kept her identity a secret.

She wanted to believe it, Kyon could tell. But she shook her head. "That… that can't be true. If I could make anything happen that I wanted to… why haven't I met an alien, or a time traveler or an esper? That's all I've wanted for three whole years."

"But you have," said Q in surprise, indicating himself.

"That doesn't count," Haruhi said, a little sadly. "I didn't have anything to do with… You were the one who brought me here. Not me."

"Ah, Haruhi Suzumiya… how much you have to learn!" He chuckled, a little pityingly, and turned away.

"Wait," Haruhi said, commanding as ever. Q glanced at her, waiting. "Q. Thank you." Her hands were on her hips and she looked furious, but Kyon could hear the genuine gratitude in her voice. After all, he thought, Q had just given her exactly what she'd always wanted.

Q smirked, saying nothing, and vanished in a flash of light.

Kyon looked over at Haruhi. A look of longing was on her face. "If only it was true!" she exclaimed. "But… it can't be. There's no way I'm anything like Q."

"Of course you're not." Kyon breathed a silent sigh of relief, and remembered attempting to reveal the true identities of the SOS Brigade to Haruhi. She hadn't believed him, either. Despite her eccentricity and eagerness to believe in supernatural phenomena, Kyon knew Haruhi was actually quite a skeptic. Koizumi had attributed it to her common sense, though Kyon wasn't sure she had any.

Haruhi smiled sadly, and on impulse Kyon took her hand in sympathy. Briefly he wished he could confirm Q's words and see the look of joy on her face as she found out the truth, but knew that was the one thing he could not do. So he smiled at her. "Haruhi is Haruhi. That's enough for me."

She looked at him and her smile lost some of its melancholy, but Kyon felt terrible for lying to her. Haruhi really was strangely similar to Q… sooner or later she'd find out the truth. Kyon had a feeling Q wouldn't give up so easily on her.

_I'll be ready for him,_ Kyon thought with a sudden resolve. He was going to find out _exactly_ who this Q was. Maybe then he would be able to find out what the alien wanted.


End file.
